Name

Neo-Classical

General Range

1900-1930

The Neo-Classical style represented the first attempt to reorganize worship space since the Akron Combination Plan. These churches, constructed in the years 1900 to 1930, were mostly architect-designed. The exteriors of Neo-Classical churches vary widely, including front end gabled designs, end-gabled designs, and compact designs that incorporated either a dome or a barrel-vaulted roof. The main elevation often incorporates a recessed porch "in antis" with classical columns and monumental stairs, a feature that had been used in some Greek Revival style churches in the years 1835 to 1855. Exterior decorative motifs were somewhat muted, and in some cases the decorative elements have been severely limited apart from the recessed porch. Neo-Classical churches are almost always masonry buildings and are rarely found in rural areas.
 
The design of the interior represented a break with earlier practices. The main floor contains the worship space in the center, surrounded by ancillary rooms around the perimeter such as the library, pastor's study, and restrooms. In earlier church plans, the worship space occupied almost all of the main floor, with ancillary functions in the basement. Neo-Classical churches usually feature classrooms in the basement plus the new functions such as a kitchen and restrooms. The design of the worship space varied; some were designed with the Akron Plan's quarter circle and some with the two-rank seating arrangement common to the Gothic Revival. The quarter-circle design was rarely used in new construction after World War I.

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Municipality

Name

Address

City of Erie

East 6th St. Baptist Ch

923 E 6 ST

City of Erie

Grace Fellowship Ch

123 W 10 ST

City of Erie

930 LIBERTY ST

City of Erie

Bethel Baptist Temple

757 E 26 ST